The animals at the Forsyth Humane Society in Winston-Salem, North Carolina have a very generous guardian angel.

Just before Christmas, the shelter received an anonymous donation of $5,000—enough to sponsor the adoptions of every one of their 48 animals. News of the donation spread, and on Friday community members lined up to welcome a new furry friend into their homes free of charge.

"To be able to walk into work Friday morning and see a line of excited people waiting for our shelter to open was spectacular," Alex Watkins, marketing coordinator at the Forsyth Humane Society, told The Dodo. "The fact that this is one less barrier to get more animals out of the shelter and into homes was truly a Christmas miracle in our eyes."

By the end of the day on Friday, 30 adoptions were finalized, and by the end of the day on Tuesday (after being closed for Christmas) the shelter was completely empty. Even the long-term residents found furever homes.

"Two of our cats, Donald and Pocahontas, who had been with us since August, finally found their families, as well as our blind Australian shepherd, Spots, who had been here since right before Thanksgiving," Watkins shared.

But empty kennels just mean more room to save more animals. After a brief celebration, the shelter welcomed 28 animals from nearby shelters, and it's already back at full capacity.

"Thank you again to our anonymous donor; we promise to not stop working until they ALL have a home," Watkins added.